Piece by Piece
by Whispering-Willow08
Summary: A collection of ficlets based on my "Their Fate" series. Each ficlet focuses on any one of the Uchiha children and other characters. You don't need to read the series to read the ficlets. Enjoy! Rating subject to change
1. Lullaby

**So I've decided to make a little "ficlet" series that takes place before **_**Their Fate. **_**Each chapter is going to be a completely different story, and they'll focus on any one of the four Uchiha children and more. So basically, this is just a bunch of short stories! I finally get to write about all of the little side stories I've thought up but couldn't include in **_**Their Fate **_**or **_**Harmony.**_** I hope you all enjoy this!**

**Also, if anyone has any questions about the Uchiha children, or wants to hear a certain story about them, I'd be happy to answer/write!**

"_Life began when I saw your face,_

_And I hear your laugh like a serenade."_

_-_Dixie Chicks

She was beautiful, standing in the corner of the room with Uzumaki Karin, her small fists pressed to her mouth as she giggled, her blue-black curls bouncing, illuminating the white ribbon tied up in them. She was one of the few who seemed unafraid of facing that very first day at the academy, laughing at the danger to come rather than cowering from it. She glowed. She drew in attention without even asking for it. She, the only daughter of Uchiha Sasuke, radiated beauty. And that was just the problem.

Even at six years old, Hyuuga Hachi understood life. He understood that this angel across the room was an Uchiha, even though this was his first time seeing her, and he understood that his father, for whatever reason, hated the Uchiha clan. But he didn't care. He couldn't tear his eyes away from her, so unaware of her own surroundings. He wanted to watch her laugh again. He wanted to pull on one of her curls and watch it bounce. He wanted to pick the most vibrant flower from the compound garden and give it to her. He realized he wanted to marry her.

After sensei had come in and told the students to take their seats, Hachi continued to watch her. Her name, he learned, was Leiji, a soft name that flowed easily off the tip of the speaker's tongue, and though her name was masculine, she gave it a feminine charm that made it somehow perfect.

He watched her from the back of the room during lessons, and it seemed he discovered something new about her every day. He learned that she was left-handed, but tried her best to write with her right hand to avoid bumping arms with the student next to her. He learned that she liked to tie ribbons in her hair, and that she preferred white ribbons over red. He learned that Karin, the hokage's daughter, was her best friend and they walked to and from the academy together every day. He learned that she was shy, and preferred to be around the people that were familiar to her.

Every now and then, he would be paired up with her for combat training, and his heart would skip a beat when their names were called together. He loved those moments, when it felt as if they were the only two people in the world. He would watch as her feet danced gracefully over the training platform and would try his best to match her balletic steps. Her movements were flawless, almost elegant, as she would raise her arms to defend his pretend blows. And even when it was her turn to be the offensive fighter, her punches, her kicks, had a delicate flair to them, and sensei praised her every time.

At lunch, she and Karin would sit beneath a shady tree, she on the right and Karin on the left. They would share the lunches their parents had packed for them and giggle about the silly things little girls giggled about. Hachi would sit on a bench with a few of the friends he had grown up with and cast secret glances at the two – his cousin and the girl who he was secretly in love with.

He couldn't explain his feelings. He only knew that they existed. He dared not let anyone know of the way he felt for the Uchiha girl, lest she herself discover his biggest secret. Instead, he sat in silence, taking notes during class with a mind filled images of the smiling Leiji. The academy had become his sanctuary, where he could gaze at her beautiful face, her glowing ivory skin, without anyone taking notice. Returning to the compound every day began to turn to torture. He had to leave her, and though he knew he would see her once more, the thought still wrenched at his heart.

He loved her.

There was a small part of him, so minuscule that he hardly took notice of it, which recognized that she, too, would occasionally glance back at him. But, he told himself, she could be looking at anyone, at anything. Their eyes had never met, their voices had rarely mingled. Their skin had brushed during combat practice, a sensation which never failed to send electric sparks racing through his spine. He was alone in his feelings, he was certain. A girl like Uchiha Leiji, who was far too preoccupied with the complex thoughts of a six year old, could never feel the same.

He loved her, and it was truly that simple. He would not act on his love; he was too young, too afraid of his father, of her, of himself. And so for the time being, he would watch her, and savor every moment she brushed her hair behind her ear, every day she wore a red ribbon instead of a white one, every instant her laughter made the birds in the trees cease their song.

He would watch, and hope against hope that one day, she would watch him too.

**This was my first time writing a story of this nature, so I hope it turned out all right. My goal for this ficlet was an "innocent love", so I really hope it worked out! I'd like to give a shout-out to my faithful reader, editor and friend LesxMisxLuverx10 for following Hachi and Leiji's relationship for quite some time! Please read, enjoy, and leave a review!**


	2. I'll Have to Say I Love You In a Song

**This one focuses on Hideki and Karli, post Their Fate, pre-Harmony. Enjoy!**

"_Every time the time was right,_

_The words just came out wrong._

_So I'll have to say I love you in a song."_

-Jim Croce

The light from the full moon spilled into the room, casting a sparkling glow on the brightly polished wood of Hideki's acoustic guitar. It was nearly one in the morning, and the oldest Uchiha male had a problem. He couldn't sleep. No matter how he tossed, turned, or threw his pillows over his head, his tired eyes refused to stay closed.

His thoughts were racing, as they seemed to do a lot lately, and he seemed able to only focus on one thing: Karli. The former teammates had been dating for nearly three years, and he had yet to muster up enough courage to tell her how he truly felt. He loved her more than anything. Deep down, he knew she felt the same way, after all their relationship had been nearly perfect from the beginning; she was just far too shy to be the first to say it out loud. It seemed they both had been waiting for the other to make the first move.

Gripping his pillow, Hideki ground his teeth together. He should be able to do it; to say those three little words he had never told another person. He wanted to tell her, but it seemed that each time he tried, his words tripped over his tongue or they were interrupted by someone. It didn't matter how tightly he held her or how deeply he kissed her when he couldn't even tell her just how much those hugs, those kisses meant to him.

His sleep deprived eyes fell on his guitar, propped up on its sleek black stand in the corner of his messy room. An idea began working its way through his mind as he stared at the carefully polished instrument. It was crazy, not to mention spontaneous, and could get the both of them in trouble, but he was desperate to tell her. And this idea might just be crazy enough to work.

Hideki leapt from his bed, pushing all second thoughts from his mind and pulled an old t-shirt over his head. After slipping on his standard-issue shoes, he crept to his window, careful to not make a single sound, and slowly pulled it open. Once the window was open wide enough for him to squeeze out, he grabbed his guitar and carefully slid out the window onto the roof. He had done this many times before, mostly to see his friends, but never with an object as awkward to carry as a guitar in his hand. This would take skill, and he needed to be extra cautious about being quiet. If he were to be caught now, his entire plan would be ruined.

He took a moment to gather chakra in his free hand and reached for the large tree limb hanging above the roof. In careful, quick movements, he slowly worked his way down the branch, letting go and gripping the rough bark over and over until his feet brushed the platform "porch" of the Uchiha Fortress, the old tree house his father and sister had built together nearly fourteen years before. He released the branch and stood on the platform for a moment, brushing bits of bark off of his hands and readjusting his guitar. He silently wished for his guitar strap, which had been broken by Kyo the day before, but he decided just carrying it would have to do. It was a labor of love.

He silently descended the wooden board steps nailed to the sturdy tree and dropped stealthily into the grass. He was nearly home free now. Glancing up at his house, he checked for any sign of movement. When everything looked clear, he took off in the direction of Karli's home across the town.

Normally Hideki would leap from tree to tree to get to Karli's house, a route that only took about ten minutes, but because of his guitar, he would simply have to walk along the streets. By the time he arrived at his girlfriend's sleeping house, it was nearly two in the morning. He knew she would be asleep by that point, but he wasn't going to let that stop him.

Sliding along the side of the one-story home, Hideki slowly worked his way into the backyard and approached Karli's dark window. His heart began to pound in his chest as he realized his plan really was coming together. It was going to work, and this thought made the first fluttering of nervousness stir in his stomach.

He took a seat underneath Karli's window and positioned his guitar in his lap. After a deep breath, he began to strum. The song was an old one he had heard on the radio or something a while back. He had liked the sound of it and had looked up the chords on a whim. The light in Karli's room flickered on and the words began to flow from Hideki's lips.

"_Well I know it's kind of late. I hope I didn't wake you,"_ he smirked as the lyrics trickled off his tongue. He had always been a singer, and he loved those moments when the music seemed to flow from his very core. _"But what I've got to say can't wait. I know you'd understand. Every time I tried to tell you, the words just came out wrong, so I'll have to say I love you in a song."_

The window slid open on its creaky hinges and Karli, her chestnut brown hair twisted into a messy ponytail, stuck her head outside. "Hideki?" she whispered as she caught sight of her raven-haired boyfriend.

Glancing up at her, the moonlight reflecting in her bright emerald eyes, Hideki grinned. _"Every time the time was right, the words just came out wrong. So I'll have to say I love you in a song."_

"Oh, Hideki," Karli sighed breathily as the song ended. She rested her chin in her hands and smiled down at him, not wanting to ruin such a perfect moment with words.

Hideki stood as he rested his guitar against the siding of the house and leaned in to give Karli a gentle kiss. "I've been wanting to say that for a really long time," he said sheepishly. "I just-."

"It's okay," Karli assured him as she leaned in for another kiss. "I love you too, Hideki."

They stood there for a moment, smiling like fools in love as a cloud passed over the moon, leaving them to only be illuminated by the light from Karli's window. Gently, Hideki's hand found Karli's and their fingers intertwined.

"Hideki," Karli began. She leaned forward and rested her forehead against his. "Why don't you come in?"

Hideki glanced nervously behind Karli, to her closed bedroom door. "But what about-?"

"It's all right," Karli assured him as she pushed her window up as high as it would go, "Dad left for a mission in the Land of Waves earlier today. He'll be gone for a few days. You're safe."

"You better be right," Hideki said playfully as he passed his guitar through the window and climbed in after it. Once his feet were planted firmly on the worn carpet of her room, he wrapped his arms around her waist, drawing her close. Karli leaned into his chest for a moment, grateful for their height difference, before rising to the tips of her toes to give him a quick, chaste kiss.

"So," she said slowly, "what made you decide to do this?"

"I couldn't sleep," Hideki replied bluntly. He laughed when she turned her head up to give him an odd look and added, "And I couldn't wait any longer to tell you."

"I'm glad," she said softly.

A quiet moment passed. Hideki raised his warm hand and cupped Karli's cheek, drawing her face near. He bent down slightly and placed his mouth over hers, savoring her sweet velvet lips as his own gently brushed over them. She leaned deeply into the kiss, her arms reaching up and wrapping around his neck as his tongue gently pushed into her opened mouth. Elegant fingers laced through raven hair and rough, work-worn hands caressed a petite waist.

In a moment the two were lying in each other's arms, Hideki hovering over Karli, her emerald eyes sparkling like gemstones as he lengthened the sweet kiss. His hands moved with familiarity over her body. The defined curves he had run his hands over so many times through a fabric barrier suddenly didn't seem enough. Without a second thought, he broke the kiss and placed gentle, light kisses along her neck and collarbone and as his mouth was preoccupied with that, his hands reached for the hem of the old t-shirt she wore and tugged lightly. He paused, waiting for her to stop him, and when she did not protest, he lifted the shirt higher, revealing her smooth stomach.

Karli propped herself up on her elbows and silently allowed Hideki to pull her shirt over her head. To her surprise, she found herself pulling gently on the bottom of Hideki's shirt, smiling shyly up at him as he dropped her shirt to the floor. Obligingly, Hideki grasped the hem of his own shirt and pulled it over his head, dropping it to the floor beside Karli's. He leaned back down, his lips finding hers once again as his hands brushed lightly across her creamy skin, a sensation that sent a wave of shivers through Karli's body.

His hand reached her breast and he massaged it gently. Stiffening, sighing lightly, Karli's hands traced the fine-tuned muscles of Hideki's abdomen. As he lay in between her legs, she could feel his erection pushing her against her, sending an unfamiliar wave of hot pleasure through her every time he shifted slightly.

Her hands had trailed to the waistband of his pants, and, as if someone else had taken control of her body, she began to tug on them. Hideki paused his work on her neck and raised his head, gently pressing his forehead against hers.

He looked deeply into her eyes and asked in a husky voice that sent shivers down her spine, "You sure?"

She nodded and snaked her arms around his neck once more, and, as though that weren't answer enough for him, lightly ground her hips against him. He shuddered at the sensation and caught her lips again.

After a moment, he climbed off the bed and pulled his wallet out of his pants before he let them drop to his ankles. He opened it as Karli watched with questioning eyes and removed a small, foil-wrapped square. Her eyes widened as she recognized the object and turned her gaze to Hideki, who shrugged, grinning sheepishly.

"I've been carrying it for a couple weeks," he admitted, "just in case." In truth, he had snuck into his parent's room when no one else was home and dug through their drawers until he had found the condoms in a shoebox under their bed. He had taken only one and prayed his father didn't count them.

Karli nodded slightly in approval and slowly removed her own pants as Hideki worked to pull the condom on. In a moment, he was hovering over her, waiting in a position he had only dreamed of being in. Karli lay below him, her hands clasped nervously at her chest as she stared up at Hideki's handsome face. Her mind raced, but she shoved all thoughts aside. She wanted this, she was sure. And at that moment, that was the only thing that mattered.

"You'll tell me, right?" Hideki asked. "If it hurts?"

"Yes," Karli promised in a whisper.

With her blessing, Hideki positioned himself and gently pushed his way into her, slowly, cautiously, as he watched her face for any signs of pain. She winced, squeezing her eyes shut as her hands gripped the hard muscle of his arms. Hideki paused, fighting to keep still, as he waited for her to tell him to go on.

After a moment, she opened her eyes and gave him a nod. He pushed again, slowly, and as soon as he moved, she winced, crying out from the pain. He paused once more and gave her a questioning look.

"We don't have to," he reasoned, although every fiber of his being was screaming at him to take her.

"No," she said, placing a hand gently on his chest. "I want to. Please. Just do it."

Hideki reached out with one hand and placed it on her cheek. He leaned down, barely brushing his lips against hers and whispered her name. He caught her lips and as he deepened the kiss, he pushed himself completely into her. Her cry was muffled by his mouth and her hands gripped his arms tighter, her nails digging into his soft flesh.

He froze in place, waiting as patiently as he could for her tense body to relax a little, for her grip to loosen, for the tears forming in her eyes to disappear. He trailed his thumb gently underneath her eye and whispered, "It's okay, it's okay."

She nodded into his palm and sniffed, but smiled lightly up at him, assuming him with her smile that she was all right.

Hideki buried his face in Karli's neck, inhaling her sweet scent as he began to thrust, gently, testing her tolerance for the speed. She bit her lip, clenched her eyes shut for a moment, but urged him on. As he moved, always cautious of his speed, her pain slowly melted into pleasure. With every thrust, a burning wave began to rack through her body, and her back arched with the intensity of it.

She could hear Hideki groan into her ear as she felt herself begin to tighten around him. Her arms wrapped around his neck and his breathing became heavy in her ear as his control of his pace faltered. Something stirred inside Karli, deep within the very core of her being, and she arched into him once more. The feeling began to take heat, burning so hot that Karli could barely contain herself. She found herself pulling at the hair on the back of Hideki's neck, moaning his name over and over, and struggling to keep locked whatever it was that wanted out.

Hideki let out a groan as his name slipped off her lips and his muscles began to tighten. He didn't have much longer, he could tell, and he could see that Karli was on the edge as well. All previous inhibitions were lost as he began to push himself harder, squeezing his eyes shut as the pleasure became almost too much to contain.

Karli's arms tightened around Hideki's neck and moaned softly into his ear as his arms snaked around her waist, pulling her as close to him as possible. Her body clenched and an explosion of colors burst before her eyes like fireworks. She felt more than saw Hideki stiffen, panting heavily, before falling on top of her, burying his face in her neck once more.

They both took a moment to catch their breath, lying as still as possible, taking in the moment in silence. Finally Hideki lifted himself off of her, but not before gently pressing his lips to hers. He smiled tenderly down at her, smirking at her dazed expression, and turned his back to remove the condom.

As he was tugging it off, he held back a small gasp at the sight of a small rip in the latex. It was small, hardly noticeable, but it was there. He turned his head to glance back at Karli, smiling serenely with half-lidded eyes, and decided not to worry her. She didn't need to know about the rip, it wasn't important. He wrapped the condom in a tissue and tossed it into her wastebasket and crawled back into the bed with her.

"I love you, Karli," he whispered sleepily in her ear as he draped his arm over her waist. His eyes had suddenly become heavy. The exhaustion from several sleepless nights was finally beginning to catch up with him. The pillow he rested his head on had never felt so sweet, and his eyes began to close, he heard Karli whisper.

"I love you too, Hideki."

-0-

The morning sun broke through the window, illuminating the room in bright, nearly blinding light. Hideki yawned as he began to stir and bolted upright into a sitting position when realized the bed, the room, wasn't his. The previous night came flooding back and he looked down at Karli, still sleeping with her fist curled against her lips. He hadn't intended on staying the night, and when he glanced at the clock propped on her bedside table, he saw that it was nearly six-thirty. He needed to leave, and soon, lest he be caught and forced to face the wrath of his father.

He leaned down, brushing a few brown curls off Karli's cheek and planted a kiss there. Her eyes fluttered open as he began pulling his clothes on and he gave her a sheepish look.

"I have to go," he explained as he pulled his shirt over his head. "I don't want to get caught."

Karli nodded her understanding and smiled. "It's all right, Hideki."

Grinning, he leaned forward to give her a quick kiss, and then reached for his guitar. "I'll see you later today, okay?"

"Okay," Karli agreed, a light smile spreading over her young features as she watched her boyfriend clamor out the window with his guitar.

When Hideki slowly pushed open the front door of his house, he thought he was home-free. That is, until he noticed Sasuke standing at the bottom of the stairs, eyebrow raised, giving his son a questioning look.

"Where have you been?" Sasuke asked, eyeing the guitar.

"Nowhere," Hideki scoffed keeping his eyes on his feet as he tried to brush past his father so he could get to his room.

"You must have snuck out for a reason," Sasuke replied as he crossed his arms and leaned coolly against the wall.

"No reason," Hideki mumbled, his back to his father. "Just wanted to get out for a while." He glanced back, just to check for any traces of anger on his father's face, and found him smirking, a knowing look playing at his eyes.

"Just don't do anything too stupid," Sasuke said, almost in a joking manner, as he turned to head to the kitchen.

"It certainly wasn't stupid," Hideki muttered as soon as his father was out of earshot. With a smile playing at his lips, he slung his guitar over his shoulder and walked to his room.

He really needed to sneak out more often.

**And that, friends and neighbors, is how Karli got pregnant…just in case you all were wondering. I've been dying to write this for years….seriously. It took my entire playlist of sappy love songs to get through this ficlet…so I really hope it was worth the effort! Enjoy! **


	3. The Cave

**This one was a lot of fun to write out, but difficult at the same time! It takes place when Leiji and Hachi are thirteen and still in their genin squad. Enjoy!**

"_But I will hold on to hope,_

_And I won't let you choke_

_On the noose around your neck._

_And I'll find strength in pain,_

_And I will change my ways."_

-Mumford and Sons

They fell, crashing into the cave together, their arms wrapped around each other for protection as they hit the ground. The avalanche rumbled to the ground, blocking their only exit with snow and dark stones. Hachi could see the fear in her eyes as they watched the light disappear, blocked by the snow that had come crashing to the ground under the force of the paper bomb the enemy had set. Hachi had seen it hit the stone exterior of the rocky mountainside and had reacted purely on impulse, grasping Leiji by the waist and nearly throwing them into the cave together to avoid the impact of the bomb.

"They're still out there," Leiji whispered, her voice husky as the last of the light vanished and the two were thrust into pure darkness.

"Kiba-sensei and Yuki can hold their own against them," Hachi assured her. He winced and his hand went to his shoulder, which had hit the ground hard when they fell into the cave. Too hard. "Are you hurt?"

"There's too many of them," Leiji said as though she were in a daze. Hachi could just make out the whites of her eyes, never leaving the closed-up entrance. "They came out of nowhere, ambushed us. This wasn't supposed to happen."

"Leiji," Hachi tried again to gain her attention, but it was of no use.

"That scroll," she muttered. "Kiba-sensei has it. That must be what they want."

"Leiji, are you _hurt?"_ Hachi nearly shouted, his voice echoing loudly off of the stone walls.

"No," she whispered, still sounding dazed, but his voice had pulled her from her trance, and she realized her hand was pressed hard over her upper stomach. She pulled it away slowly and discovered it felt warm and sticky.

"Are you sure?" Hachi pressed, trying to find her in the darkness.

His only answer was the sound of her cough, a hard, violent cough that bounced off the walls and resonated throughout the small space. Something spattered to the floor and, alarmed, Hachi reached into his pouch with his good hand and fumbled for his flashlight. The thin beam of light barely cut through the darkness, but it was enough to allow Hachi to see Leiji, on her knees, hunched over and still coughing with an alarming amount of blood in a puddle between her hands.

"Shit, Leiji, you're throwing up blood!" Hachi cried. He tried to move over to her side but the pain in his shoulder become too much to bear and he fell back against the wall of the cave and slid slowly to the ground.

"I-I'm okay," Leiji stammered. She pulled herself up and wiped at her mouth with the back of her hand. In the thin light from the flashlight, Leiji could make out Hachi against the wall, his face tight with pain. "What's wrong?" she asked as she crawled over to his side.

"My shoulder," Hachi grunted. "I landed on it. I think it's dislocated." His eyes widened at the bloody slash torn through Leiji's white winter coat. Blood trickled from the wound slowly, staining the material as it made its course into her lap. "Leiji, you're really hurt!" Hachi cried as he struggled to get a better look. "Did one of those stone ninja get you?"

"He came at me," Leiji admitted and coughed into the crook of her elbow, "but I took him down."

"Leiji," Hachi said slowly, trying his best to make her understand, "this is a serious wound."

"It's not that bad," she said weakly. She drew her arms to her chest and shivered. "It's so cold in here."

Hachi eyed her carefully as he tried to think logically. Leiji was right about one thing – it was cold. The harsh December winter had certainly taken its toll on this cave, and their breath rose together in steamy white plumes to the rocky ceiling. Lighting a fire would be impossible; the smoke would suffocate and kill them faster than the cold would. Digging their way out was also out of the question. With Hachi's shoulder and Leiji's injury, there was no way they could paw their way through the heavy stones and thick snow that held them captive.

"We're going to die," Leiji stated, ripping Hachi from his thoughts.

"Don't talk like that," he snapped. "We're not going to die. Kiba-sensei will find us."

"No, he won't," Leiji said bluntly as her hand returned to her wound. "He didn't see us come in here. He and Yuki were too far ahead of us."

"Leiji, they'll find us," Hachi assured her. She was sitting on the side of his good arm, and he gently placed it over her shoulders, pulling her closer to him. "We only need to worry about staying warm."

"How?" Leiji asked simply. "We can't light a fire in here. We'd die." She shook her head slowly and stared down at her bloody hands. Her leather gloves were ruined, and she found herself oddly upset over this. "We don't have any food. We don't have any water."

"We have water," Hachi reminded her. The way she was talking was concerning him. This was not the way his teammate usually behaved in high-risk situations. But then again, he reminded himself, they had never been in a situation like this before. He lifted his arm from her shoulders and pulled a small canteen from his pouch. "See? Water."

She stared at the canteen levelly before turning her gaze to Hachi, who realized what she wasn't saying. He shook the canteen lightly, confirming that the small amount of water inside had frozen into a solid brick of ice.

"We're going to die," she repeated and leaned her head back against the wall.

"Stop talking like that," Hachi said, gentler this time. He replaced his arm on her shoulders and drew her into him. "They will find us, Leiji. We just have to wait."

"For how long?" Leiji spat. "We have a few hours at best before the hypothermia sets in, and that ambush was big. By the time they find us – _if _they find us – we'll be-."

"Stop it," Hachi interrupted. His eyes narrowed as he stared into her eyes in an attempt to calm her. "We will be fine as long as we stay like this. We need to share our body heat if we're going to keep warm." He struggled to pull his coat off so he could wrap it around the both of them, but quickly discovered that his shoulder was not going to allow him to do that. "Shit," he spat under his breath.

Leiji put a hand against her mouth as another coughing fit racked her body. Thick drops of blood spewed out between her fingers as she choked, and she squeezed her eyes shut against the pain. A part of her recognized that Hachi was pounding at her back in an attempt to help her, but she was far too focused on trying to make the coughing stop to fully register what he was doing. Eventually the coughing fit passed, and her hands dropped weakly to her sides. A trickle of blood worked its way from the corner of her mouth to her chin and Hachi gently wiped it away.

Her injury was worse than he first feared, and his heart sank to his stomach as the realization that they really could die there hit him. "Does it hurt?" he whispered to her as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"No," she replied weakly.

He tried again to pull his coat off, so he could at least cover her wound and keep her warm, but her hand grasped his wrist and she looked up at him with pleading eyes.

"Keep it on," she whispered. "You need to stay warm too."

"You're really hurt," Hachi protested. "You're the one who needs the extra warmth."

"You're lips are turning blue," she muttered, a touch of sadness in her voice.

"Yours are too," Hachi replied quietly.

"We're going to die," Leiji said again.

Hachi only bit his lip, which was numb against the cold, and remained quiet. This time, he couldn't deny the truth behind her words. With her head on his shoulder, it was the most physically close the two had ever been, and Hachi only wished this moment could happen somewhere else – somewhere safe and warm. He was finally alone with the girl he had been in love with for years. Finally together, and they, or at least she, was dying. Her normally rosy lips, now tinged with blue, taunted him. As she rested against him with her eyes closed, those full, beautiful lips called him a coward. He was never able to tell her how he felt, and now he couldn't even protect her when she needed him most. He couldn't even get his coat off.

He cupped her face in his good hand and, in a moment of pure courage gently pressed his lips to hers. Her eyes fluttered open, dazed, and the coppery taste of her blood filled his mouth. He pulled away as quickly as he had gone in and replaced his arm around her shoulders. Her head returned to his shoulder and her eyes closed again. He sighed in relief. He had at least managed to do that, but she was nearing unconsciousness, and he realized that the chances of her actually remembering the kiss were slim. He truly was a coward.

He must have nodded off, because the sound of Leiji's voice in the darkness startled him, and he realized he had been slouching.

"I can't feel my feet."

As Hachi tried to turn to see her face, he realized the cave was washed in an inky darkness. The batteries in his flashlight must have died while they slept.

"Wiggle your toes," Hachi urged. "Keep the circulation going."

"I can't."

"_Try, _Leiji!"

"I can't!" Leiji shot back, and her voice, though gruff and weak, showed her frustration. "I've been trying, and I can't do it."

"We have to get out of here," Hachi muttered under his breath. He lifted his arm from her shoulders and pulled himself to his feet, grimacing against the pain shooting through his shoulder. He felt his way to the entrance and, with his good hand, began scraping at the snow. He at least wanted to see how thick the blockage was. After several minutes of throwing handful after handful to the ground, Hachi realized it was useless. The barrier was too thick. Defeated, he slid back down next to Leiji, whose teeth had begun to chatter violently.

He drew her close to him once more and rubbed his hand against her arm, attempting to warm her, but it was of no use. She pressed her cheek into his shoulder and clamped her mouth shut as she tried to control the chattering.

"How long have we been here?" Hachi asked with a sigh.

"I don't know," Leiji muttered. Her eyes shut slowly and a shuddering breath escaped her lips as she choked back tears. Thick blood had accumulated in the back of her throat, and she coughed weakly in an attempt to clear it. Her eyes drooped heavily and the soft material of Hachi's coat felt like heaven against her cheek. "I'm so tired."

"Stay awake, Leiji," Hachi nearly begged. "Please." He was no fool. With her injury and the tired, groggy way she had been speaking, he knew what falling asleep would really mean, and he could not allow that. She gave no response and he shook her shoulder gently. "Leiji?" No response. He shook her harder. "Damn it, Leiji!" He lowered himself slightly, pressing his ear against her chest. Her heart pounded a little too slowly for his liking, and her breath sounded shallow in her chest, but she was breathing.

Helpless, Hachi leaned back against the wall and stared up at the ceiling. His eyes burned with tears of frustration and hopelessness, and he finally admitted to himself that this really was the end. Defeated, he pressed his cheek against her cool, black hair and let his eyes close.

By the time the ANBU Black Ops had discovered the two missing Leaf Village genin, they had both fallen into unconsciousness. As they pulled them from the wreckage, they immediately noted the extensive injury on the Uchiha girl's stomach and recognized that the puddles of blood splattered in various places throughout the cave's floor had come from her. The Hyuuga boy's injury was more obvious, as his right arm hung limply at his side, drooping slightly lower than normal, but much less alarming to the ANBU. Neither of them stirred as they were transported to the hospital and brought to their individual surgeries.

When Leiji finally opened her eyes, she realized she was warm for the first time in what felt like years. She found herself staring up at a bright fluorescent light, and an IV bag floated in the corner of her vision. Sensing another presence, she slowly turned her head and saw her father sitting in a straight-backed hospital chair, watching her movements intensely.

"I'm alive?" she whispered, astonished.

"Yes," Sasuke answered, relaxing slightly. "You are."

"How-?"

"Leiji," Sasuke interrupted, "try not to talk too much. Do you remember what happened when they pulled you from that cave?"

Shaking her head, Leiji stared at her father and waited for his explanation.

"That's probably for the best," Sasuke muttered. "When the ANBU pulled you out, they realized your injuries were…extensive. You were bleeding internally from the stab wound in your stomach." He paused to run a hand through his hair and sighed heavily. "The doctor's explained that, because of the cold, your circulation had slowed. They said that if it hadn't been so cold, you would have…" He trailed off, staring at his clenched fists in frustration.

"How long have I been unconscious?" Leiji asked huskily after a few minutes of silent contemplation.

Sasuke hesitated. "Two days."

"It's Christmas?"

"Yes," Sasuke confirmed with a sigh.

Leiji bit her lip, her eyes brimming with tears at the thought of missing Christmas with her family. "What happened to Hachi?"

"Why do you care?" Sasuke snapped, and clamped his mouth shut. He shifted his gaze to glare at the door and scoffed.

"He saved me, dad," Leiji said softly. She was more than aware of her father's hatred towards the Hyuuga clan, and he only tolerated her being on the same team with Hachi. "If it wasn't for him, I would have been caught in that blast."

"What a lot of good he did," Sasuke spat back.

"Please, dad," Leiji begged. "He's the one who convinced me we weren't going to die in there, when I was sure we would. He kept me alive. So," she glanced at the oxygen reader clipped to her finger and cringed, "tell me what happened to him."

Sighing in defeat, Sasuke said, "He dislocated his shoulder. He needed minor surgery to get it back in place; they put him in a sling and sent him home. He's recovering there now. Clearly, you were not so lucky."

Leiji's hands instantly went to her stomach, where she could feel the raised bumps from the stitches. "They fixed it right? The bleeding?"

"Yes," Sasuke confirmed gently. "But there was some nerve damage they couldn't fix."

"Where?" Leiji asked, eyeing her father levelly.

Carefully, Sasuke reached out a placed a hand on his daughter's foot through her blankets, the weight of his hand pressing down on her toes. Leiji's eyes widened as she realized she couldn't feel the weight of her father's hand on her toes.

"Frostbite," Sasuke explained. "The feeling may never return. It wasn't bad enough that they felt the need to," he cringed, "amputate, but it was bad enough to lose feeling."

Leiji shook her head slowly at the news, and as she opened her mouth to speak, an energetic blonde poked her head into the room.

"It's alive!" Karin shouted with joy as she took a running leap and landed at Leiji's side, lying down next to her. "So how do you feel? I mean, ten hours in a frozen wasteland of a cave with a serious injury, and you survived! That's pretty freaking amazing!"

"Ten hours?" Leiji cried, the strength finally returning to her voice. She turned to her father for conformation, and he nodded. "I can't believe I was there that long," Leiji muttered, bewildered.

Smirking, Sasuke rose to his feet and placed a hand on top of Leiji's head. "Now that you have company, I should let your mother know you're awake."

As soon as Sasuke had left the room and shut the door behind him, Karin turned excitedly to her best friend and grinned. "So, what was it like being alone with Hachi Hyuuga for so long?"

Leiji rolled her eyes, knowing some 'forbidden romance' would be the first thing that would cross Karin's mind. "Nothing happened, if that's what you're asking," she said. "We tried our best to keep each other warm-."

"How?" Karin interrupted, practically begging for juicy details.

"We leaned on each other," Leiji said simply. "That was it. It was really all we could do. And if you're thinking about romance or anything – don't. I was far too busy hacking up globs of blood for anything like that to happen. Besides, Hachi's just my teammate."

"Maybe to _you," _Karin muttered under her breath.

"What?" Leiji asked, whipping her head around to give Karin a questioning look.

"Nothing, nothing," Karin replied, waving her hand nonchalantly. "So aside from the whole puking blood thing, how was the cave?"

"Cold," Leiji scoffed. "I don't really remember much, to be honest. I guess I was unconscious for most of it. But, I did have this weird dream that Hachi…_kissed _me."

**I felt like this was the most appropriate place to end it. Let me know what you think!**


	4. Down to the River to Pray

**Ohhh boy, all I can say is: Enjoy! **

"_Oh sisters, let's go down,_

_Let's go down, come on down._

_Oh sisters, let's go down,_

_Down in the river to pray."_

-Allison Krauss

"Leiji, to your left!" Kiba cried as the cloud ninja came charging from the distance. The B-rank mission to deliver an important scroll suggesting an alliance between the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightening had gone well up to the point where the scroll was actually delivered. It seemed that the Raikage had not been a fan of the treaty and had sent some of his finest shinobi after the team sent to deliver the scroll in retaliation.

The squad was the reformation of Kiba's former genin squad, all fourteen years old and chuunin now, consisting of Hyuuga Hachi, Shindo Yuki, and Uchiha Leiji. All three of them were brilliant fighters, and each could easily hold their own in combat with their own unique abilities. Hachi's Byakugan alerted the squad as to just how many enemies were approaching (approximately two), Yuki's refined defensive tactics kept most of the enemies at bay, and Leiji's Sharingan easily allowed her to predict the enemy's every move. They were a brilliant team – they had been from the start – and Kiba was beginning to see that his and Akamaru's presence wasn't really necessary in this battle at all, that is, until one of the cloud nin decided to speak.

"Shit, that's the fucking Sharingan!"

Smugly, Leiji turned to face the speaker, a wry smirk tugging at her lips. "You sure you want to go up against it?" she challenged coyly.

But the speaker didn't seem to hear her, and instead he turned to his comrade, a bewildered look on his face. "I thought the Uchiha's were wiped out!"

"No, there was a survivor," his comrade said, looking Leiji up and down. "The one who slaughtered them – Uchiha Itachi – he spared his younger brother, remember?"

"Brother?" Leiji whispered under her breath, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion.

"Leiji, don't listen to them!" Kiba warned, stepping forward with a kunai clutched in his hand. Before Leiji was even born, Tsunade, who was still the hokage at the time, had ordered the village under Sasuke's request to never let any future Uchiha children know the truth about the massacre of the Uchiha clan. Kiba understood the reasoning behind it, of course, and he knew that Sasuke had told his four children that the clan had been wiped out by an assassin, and that was all. If Kiba were to allow these fools to expose the truth, Leiji would surely feel beyond betrayed, but Kiba began to fear that it was already too late.

"Check it out, the bitch doesn't know," the taller of the cloud nin said with a chuckle. He leaned closer to her face, a devious smirk playing on his lips. "Your uncle murdered your entire clan, and then your precious dad murdered your uncle to get revenge."

"Sensei, what are they talking about?" Yuki asked, concerned.

"Something that none of you should have ever known about," Kiba growled and threw his kunai. It whizzed between the cloud nin and Leiji's faces and embedded itself in the dirt just past them. "That's enough!"

"Oh, I get it," the cloud ninja said as he took a step back. "The whole village must be under orders to keep the massacre a secret."

"Look how confused she is," the second nin said with a smirk. "Her whole life's been a lie."

"Enough already!" Kiba shouted, and suddenly all eyes were on him. "Your mission was to take us out right?" he challenged as he withdrew several kunai and Akamaru crouched down, ready to pounce. "So attack us and quit talking already!"

"We weren't sent to attack you," the first nin scoffed. He withdrew the scroll they had just delivered from his pouch and threw it at Kiba's feet. "Our Raikage was not pleased with your treaty. Revise it and bring it back to us, and perhaps he will reconsider it."

"Fine," Kiba grunted as he bent to pick up the scroll. "You bastards really need to learn to keep your mouths shut."

"Your village needs to learn to not lie to their shinobi," the nin shot back as the two turned and began heading back towards their village.

When the two cloud ninja were out of sight, Leiji turned slowly to Kiba, her eyes wide. "Sensei," she began, "is what they said…true?"

"Of course it's not true," Hachi cut in, his arms crossed over his chest. "They were obviously trying to distract us – to stop us from attacking them."

"No," Kiba said, shaking his head, "it's true." He turned in the direction of Konoha and began walking, his three students following silently behind. "Leiji," he began as they walked, "your dad did have a brother – Itachi – and he did wipe out the entire Uchiha clan. At the time, Itachi told your dad that he did it to test his abilities – to see how far he could go. He spared Sasuke for whatever reason, and then he was gone. When your dad abandoned the village, it wasn't just because of Orochimaru like he told you. He wanted to get revenge on Itachi for murdering their entire clan, and he did. But your dad found out something after Itachi was dead. It turns out that it was the elders who ordered Itachi to wipe out the clan. They were afraid that the Uchiha's were getting too strong, strong enough to overthrow Konoha even, and so they gave Itachi the orders to," he paused and cringed, "destroy them all.

"You have to understand," he continued after seeing no reaction from Leiji, "the village was ordered to keep this from you and your brothers for a reason. Your dad doesn't like to remember it, and to be able to understand something like that – well, your dad just thought this was one thing you shouldn't know about. He intended to tell you what really happened one day when you get a little older, but," he sighed, "I guess he won't have to now."

Leiji remained quiet as they walked, her eyes never leaving the path in front of her. Yuki and Hachi eyed her with concern, but neither could think of anything to say after hearing Kiba's story. Kiba only bit his lip and ran a hand through his hair. Her silence was a bad sign, and if that wasn't bad enough, he had to tell Sasuke what had happened when they got back to the village, and he was quite sure that he was going to die by the Uchiha's hands for allowing this to happen.

The rest of the trek back to the hidden leaf village was silent, and as soon as the group stepped within the gates, Leiji took off, disappearing into the trees.

"Hey! Get back here, we need to fill out a mission report!" Kiba cried after her, but realized it was useless. Sighing heavily, he turned back to Yuki and Hachi, who were waiting awkwardly for Kiba's orders. "Go home, guys."

"But what about the mission report?" Hachi asked.

"I'll do it myself," Kiba replied and glanced in the direction of the hokage's tower.

"Fine, then I'm going after Leiji!" Yuki declared as he turned on his heel and prepared to take off after her.

"Me too," Hachi added, turning in the direction she ran off to.

"Don't bother her," Kiba said sharply, holding up a hand to stop them. "Seriously guys, go home. Let her be by herself."

"But-," Hachi began to protest, but Kiba shook his head.

"We'll let Sasuke decide what to do about this," Kiba told them sternly and began making his way to the tower. "Just leave her be," he called back to them, and when he saw them both heading in the direction of their homes, defeated, Kiba leapt into a run and all but burst into the tower, running at full speed towards Naruto's office. He threw open the doors with a little too much force, and Sasuke glanced up from Naruto's paperwork to give Kiba an odd look as he nearly fell into the room, panting. "S-Sasuke!"

"Hn?" Sasuke asked simply, his eyes never leaving Kiba.

Struggling to catch his breath, Kiba placed a hand on his chest and stammered, "I-it's Leiji."

"What about Leiji?" Sasuke nearly growled, his face darkening.

"Sasuke," Kiba said slowly, trying to come up with the best way to break this news, "she _knows_."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he stood and slammed his palms onto the desk. "How did she find out?" he demanded angrily, and Kiba cringed under his glare.

"S-some idiot cloud nin came after us on our way back. They saw Leiji's Sharingan and just started talking about the massacre." He sighed and stared down at his feet, placing his hand on the back of his neck. "I'm really sorry."

"Hn," Sasuke scoffed as he stood and crossed the room. He pushed his way past Kiba and stepped out into the hall.

"Sasuke, wait," Kiba nearly begged. "I don't know where she is. She ran off as soon as we entered the gates."

"I know where she is," Sasuke replied simply and continued walking down the hallway, leaving Kiba to sulk in Naruto's office. Sasuke knew his daughter well. There were only two places in the entire village she would go when she was upset, the first being the tree house they had built together when Leiji was six, but the tree house was for minor problems, little things that could be easily solved. This was a big problem, and when Leiji had a big problem, she went to the pier in the ruins of the Uchiha compound to look out at the lake and dip her feet in the water. As he approached the dock, he could see her sitting at the edge of the pier, hunched over slightly as she stared down into the water.

She didn't turn around when she sensed her father approaching, she only continued to stare at the ripples in the water and said, "Go. Away."

Sighing, Sasuke approached her and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "Leiji, we need to talk about this."

"No," Leiji replied simply, still refusing to turn. "Go away."

"You shouldn't have found out that way," Sasuke said quietly. "I was going to talk to you about it. Would you turn around?"

"No you weren't," Leiji shot back, ignoring her father's request. "You've been lying to us our whole lives about it."

"It's complicated," Sasuke attempted to explain. "But I was going to tell you about what really happened when you got a little older."

"Then why lie in the first place?" Leiji challenged.

"It's not something I like to remember," Sasuke admitted with a sigh. "And you were too young to understand a situation like that."

"So you just lied to us," she scoffed as she kicked her feet gently in the water.

Scowling, Sasuke said, "I did _not _lie to you, Leiji."

"Yes, you did!" Leiji accused, finally turning to face her father. "You told me the clan was wiped out. You never told me you had a brother. You never said he was the one who did it!"

"You don't understand how complicated that whole situation was," Sasuke retorted, his arms crossing sternly over his chest. "You think I wanted to tell you and brothers all of that? You were far too young!"

With a hardened expression, Leiji stared her father right in the eye. "You killed your own brother."

Shocked, Sasuke took a step back and glared down at her. "_Enough, _Leiji."

Leiji turned back to the water with a scoff and shook her head slowly. "If you expect me to listen to you…to _trust _you after this, don't."

"Leiji, look at me," Sasuke demanded with narrowed eyes.

"No. Fuck you."

Sasuke's eyes widened for a moment at her words, and once he recovered from his shock he stormed up to her and grabbed her arm, pulling her up until she was standing. He turned her around and placed his hands on her shoulders, forcing her to look at him. "Leiji, you have _no _idea what I went through back then. I was a different man when I was your age, and I am _not _proud of it. I'll be damned if I let this change your opinion of me before you even get a chance to hear it from me. Understand?"

Leiji held her ground even under her father's hard glare and stared up at him with no fear in her eyes, only anger. "How can I trust anything you say now?"

"Because I am your father," Sasuke nearly growled, "and I have never lied to you."

"Bullshit," Leiji spat and ignored her father's scowl at her language. "So you're just going to pretend you never told us what you did? You're changing your story now?"

"Listen to me, Leiji!" Sasuke demanded and gave her shoulders a light shake. "I should have told you about my brother, but I didn't because you were too _young _to understand. I didn't want to take that innocence away from you like it was from me!"

"So what do you think you're doing to me now?" Leiji shouted with angry tears beginning to form in her dark eyes.

Sasuke frowned and shook his head. "Leiji, I know you feel betrayed right now, and I hate that you had to find this out the way that you did, but you _have _to listen to me."

"No," Leiji said and tried to pull out of her father's grip.

"Leiji, stop it," Sasuke said as he held her firmly in place, but this only made her struggle even more to pull free.

"Let me _go!"_ she cried angrily.

"Leiji, stop," Sasuke tried again, never letting his hold on her slip.

Defeated, Leiji stopped her struggles and glared up at him, inwardly brooding.

"I know this is hard for you, Leiji," Sasuke began. "I was afraid something like this would happen one day. If you would just calm down and listen to me, I'll tell you everything you want to know."

"Hn," Leiji scoffed.

"You're still not calm," Sasuke stated.

"You still haven't let me go," Leiji shot back.

Narrowing his eyes, knowing his daughter's tricks, Sasuke replied, "I'll let you go when you get calm."

"I'll get calm when you let me go," Leiji retorted, giving her father a hard glare.

"Now is not the time to be stubborn, Leiji," Sasuke said sternly.

"There's no time like the present," Leiji replied wryly.

"Leiji, cut the sassiness already," Sasuke demanded. "You're getting too old for that. I'm trying to be serious with you."

"It's my defense mechanism," Leiji growled. "Can't you see I am _pissed_?"

After taking a moment to calm himself and remind himself of just who he was dealing with, Sasuke said with a stern look, "You are not a little girl anymore, Leiji. You need to listen to reason, starting right now. I know you're pissed but you can't always let your emotions get the best of you."

"I have a right to right now," Leiji scoffed.

"No, you don't," Sasuke informed her as the frustration that had been building up in his chest began to boil over. "You think you know everything because you heard it from some stupid cloud nins, but you don't!"

"Kiba filled me in on the rest," Leiji shot back.

"He shouldn't have," Sasuke snarled, "because he doesn't know the whole truth either!"

"And what's that?" Leiji challenged.

"_Why _the clan was wiped out!"

"The elders ordered it," Leiji retorted with a glare.

Sighing heavily, Sasuke dropped his hands from his daughter's shoulders and ran a hand through his hair. "That was a different time, Leiji. I was different. Why can't you understand that?"

"What I can't 'understand'," Leiji began bravely, "is why you'd even bother having us if chances are, the clan's going to be wiped out again. Kind of a waste, isn't it?"

"_No one _is going to hurt you or your brothers," Sasuke promised. "There is no chance that something like that will ever happen again, so don't you even _think _like that."

"You can't know that for sure," Leiji said, her voice strong.

"Yes I can," Sasuke said, a little softer this time. "As long as I'm alive, I will personally make sure that never happens again."

"What, so you plan to outlive us?" Leiji replied, the sassy side of her beginning to show once more.

"Is that what you're afraid of?" Sasuke asked gently.

"I'm not afraid of anything!" Leiji protested. "I'm trying to prove a point here!"

"Are you implying that you _will _die?" Sasuke questioned, narrowing his eyes.

"Won't we all?" Leiji asked, holding out her arms as though her father's statement was obvious.

"You know what I meant by that, Leiji!" Sasuke nearly shouted, his frustration growing once more. "What do you want me to say? To do?"

"There's really nothing you can do or say, now is there?" Leiji replied simply, giving her father a knowing look.

Sighing heavily, Sasuke pressed the palm of his hand against his forehead in an attempt to quell the headache that was forming. "Leiji, listen to me…"

"Hn?" Leiji hummed, crossing her arms.

"I know you're mad," Sasuke began, his voice softening, "and I know you feel betrayed. You feel like I lied to you, but I just wanted to protect you."

"Great job," Leiji said with a voice thick with sarcasm.

"Damn it, I'm being serious with you!" Sasuke cried in frustration. "Stop trying to fight me off!"

"I can't help it," Leiji said, her eyes turning back to the water. "I'm stubborn and sassy," she paused and bit her lip, "and I got it from you."

"Yes, you did," Sasuke agreed with a sigh.

Leiji turned back to her father with a light smirk playing at her lips. "It's like fighting with yourself, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is," Sasuke agreed with a matching smirk. "I guess it's my payback for being so stubborn myself."

"But you will tell Hideki and Tai about this," Leiji said, suddenly turning serious. "Even Kyo."

"All right," Sasuke said, defeated. "But Kyo is still a little too young to understand." He cringed slightly at the thought of trying to explain the massacre to four-year old. "I'll talk to Hideki and Tai about it," he compromised. "I just hope they don't react the way you did."

"At least they'll be hearing it from _you_," Leiji said with a scowl.

Before Leiji had a chance to make another sassy remark, Sasuke reached out and pulled her into a tight hug. His hand rested on the top of her head as she buried her face in his chest, and he couldn't help but smirk a little. It felt like it had been an eternity since he had last gotten a hug like this one from his only daughter. She had always been a daddy's girl; always running to him with her problems or to tell on something her brother's did. It seemed that in the past couple of years, she wasn't running to him as much as she used to, and Sasuke would be lying if he said he didn't miss that. Still, every once in a while, he would get a hug seemingly out of nowhere, or a grin, or a long talk – all moments Sasuke greatly enjoyed spending with his daughter. He would never admit it to anyone, but she really did have him wrapped around her little finger.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you myself," he muttered into her raven hair.

Leiji pulled back a little from the hug and smiled coyly up at her father. "What have we learned?"

"Who's the parent here?" Sasuke asked with a raised brow.

"Who's the one learning the lesson?" Leiji challenged playfully.

"You are far too sassy for your own good," Sasuke muttered as he rolled his eyes. He looked down at her, serious once more. "I won't keep anything from you, or your brothers, anymore, all right?"

"All right," Leiji agreed, "but if one more cloud nin tells me anything else about my life, I'm moving up there, since they seem to know more about me than I do."

Sasuke shook his head, holding back a smirk. "You already know everything." Suddenly, he placed a hand on her shoulder and said sternly, "And if you _ever _talk to me like that again, you're grounded for life. Understood?"

"You mean I actually got away with it?" Leiji asked, astonished.

"This time. But don't push your luck," Sasuke warned as he gave her a little push in the direction of their home. "Now come on, it's getting late."

**Okay, so this time I'm not just thanking LesxMisxLuverx10 for being my editor, but for also practically writing this ficlet! She and I do a lot of role-playing with our characters, and this story came directly from one of our role-plays where she was Sasuke and I was Leiji. Most of Sasuke's lines in this ficlet were taken word-for-word from our role-play, so she practically wrote half of this. I definitely couldn't have written this without her! **


	5. Perfect

"_Hey, dad, look at me,_

_Think back and talk to me. _

_Did I grow up according to plan?"_

-Simple Plan

When asked how his relationship with his father became so distant over the years, Hyuuga Hachi would begin by saying it hadn't always been that way. In truth, he had once been quite close to his father, and he truly believed that if it were not for the clan, he still would be. He would admit to missing his father from time-to-time, would even go so far as to say how much he wished things didn't have to be the way they were. But he had to be the protector, for the sake of his wife, his son, and even his own sister. Someone had to keep them safe from the oppressions of the Hyuuga clan, and he had unwillingly taken that responsibility the first time he uttered a simple "no" to his father.

Things had been simple for Hachi as a child. He and Neji had a normal father and son relationship when he was young – he would ride on his father's shoulders and feel on top of the world, he would sit by his side while he worked at his desk with a pen and a piece of paper on his lap, imitating his father's work as he scribbled on the paper, and -like any child- he would fall asleep on his shoulder after a long, hard day.

When he was five and Sumomo was born, things only got better for him and his father. Hachi loved his baby sister dearly and he would always tug on Neji's sleeve, begging his father to let him hold her just "one more time". So Neji would help Hachi get adjusted on the couch and Tenten would gently place the tiny chubby-cheeked bundle in his arms. Neji would keep a hand under the infant's head, just in case, and Hachi would beam up at his father as he swung his feet with joy. He had been so proud that his daddy trusted him enough to let him take charge of the tiny person in his arms, and his heart swelled when his father would return the smile.

But those moments could not last forever.

Not long after Sumomo turned six months old, Hachi decided he did not like having the traditional long hairstyle of the Hyuuga clan. This decision had nothing to do with the way he looked – he was far too young to understand a concept like that – it came from his simple, childish hatred of how much it got in the way. Every time a breeze would brush past him, the hair flew into his face, getting into his mouth and forcing him to squeeze his eyes shut against it. At night, he would sit on the edge of his bed with a scowl as his mother worked a brush through the messy tangles. She would laugh lightly at all the trouble his hair was causing but he would simply glare out at nothing, wishing for short hair.

Eventually, the day came when he realized he could have it. After careful contemplation, he snuck out of bed in the middle of the night and dug through his father's desk until he found what he was looking for – scissors. They were large in his child-sized hands and his fingers had trouble grasping the black plastic that coated the handles. The cool metal of the blades gleamed in the moonlight shining in through the window of his father's office, and Hachi opened and closed them a few times, admiring the way the moonlight reflected off the metal. Finally he grasped a fistful of hair in his hand and raised the scissors. He squeezed his eyes shut as he closed the blades around his hair and nearly sighed in relief as he heard the small crackling sound of hair being cut against his ear. When the scissors had closed, he opened his hand and watched as the strands floated dreamily to the ground and settled at his feet. He grinned at the sight, feeling the weight of the world lift off his small shoulders and continued cutting. As the hair fell around his feet in larger and larger clumps, he began to laugh.

The next morning, Neji had been furious to discover his son's choppy, uneven haircut and the piles of brown hair scattered around the polished wood floor of his office. Oh, he had been _livid _and he spent the entirety of the morning yelling while Tenten tried to calm him (and stifle a few laughs at her son's spiky uneven hairstyle). She had taken Hachi aside later after Neji had calmed down and fixed his hair, gently coaxing the reason he had done this out of him as she worked. He told her easily enough, because she was his mother and he loved her, and because he knew she was always on his side. Somehow, she had convinced Neji to let him keep his hair short.

Things were all right for a little while between Hachi and his father - that is until his training began. Hachi would return home from a long day of working with Byakugan and learning new skills so exhausted that he would nearly collapse just from entering through the front door. Tenten would be alarmed by Hachi's exhaustion, but Neji would calmly assure her that it was all part of the Hyuuga way of training. Then there were the days when Hachi would lose consciousness during training and wake up in his bed hours later to find his father scoffing and informing him that he would never be a Hyuuga if he couldn't even make it through training.

His father's sharp words used to hurt him, but as the training continued, it only got rougher and Hachi began to think that maybe not being a Hyuuga wasn't the worst thing that could happen to him. He endured the training though, and his father's scoffs came less often as Hachi learned to drag himself to his feet despite the spinning world around him. There was a time when he had lost consciousness in the midst of a close-range combat battle with his father, but somehow his body had continued to move even though the world had shut down around him. Neji had been impressed to say the least, and he had tried several times to get Hachi to do it again. However, no matter how hard he focused, Hachi could not make his body stay mobile as his mind shut down.

And he became a failure again.

When he was eleven, it came time for Sumomo to begin her training as a Hyuuga. Hachi refused to stand idly by and watch his little sister suffer the way he had, and so the night before her training was to begin he went into his father's office and demanded that her training be lighter than his own. Neji, of course, denied his request but that did not stop Hachi from fighting for it. He became relentless. Every day, before and after his classes at the academy, he would follow Neji everywhere he went, talking of nothing but lighter training for Sumomo.

After weeks of this, Hachi became sure that his efforts were futile. But Neji surprised him. Just when he was about to give up, his father gave a defeated sigh and agreed to train Sumomo less vigorously. It was a huge victory for Hachi, and Sumomo thanked him greatly for it. However, that was when things really began to go downhill.

A year later, Hachi graduated from the academy. This normally would be a momentous occasion for him, except there was one little thing that prevented him to be happy, and that was his assigned teammate – Uchiha Leiji. Of course, he had no problem with this arrangement – he had only been in love with the girl for years – but his father did. He wasn't quite sure _why _his father harbored such a deep hatred for the Uchiha clan, but he knew that that hatred _existed _and that was more than enough. His father and Leiji's father, Uchiha Sasuke, had thrown a fit over their assignment, but their sensei refused to put them on separate teams. He said they worked well together, and that was true.

The more Hachi trained and went on missions with Leiji and the rest of their team, the more distant his father became to him. The idea of an extra training session with Leiji was enough to send Neji into a fit of rage, but Hachi went anyway. The thought of gathering together in their free time as a team was enough to make Neji ground Hachi for weeks, but he snuck out and went anyway. The day they all became chuunin and the team disbanded, Neji began to relax. But of course, that didn't last long.

At seventeen, Hachi went out a limb and asked Leiji for a date. Both of their fathers vehemently refused, but they continued to see each other behind their backs. Eventually the day came when Hachi went to ask Sasuke for his daughter's hand in marriage. It had been a struggle at first, but after showing his worth, Sasuke actually agreed to the marriage. Neji, however, did not. He didn't even come to the wedding.

After Leiji and Hachi's first and only child, Haru, was born, Hachi cut his father out of his life for good. The comments he had made about the infant and about the life Hachi had went on to live were too much for him, and he refused to listen his father's harsh words for another second. He didn't speak to his father for years.

There was an incident, when Haru was six years old, where Neji called Hachi to his office. For the first time in six years, Neji spoke to his son. But he had not called his son in to make up for lost time. He wanted Haru. He wanted to train him in the Hyuuga way.

That set Hachi off. He could take the hair, he could take the training, he could take sticking up for his sister, and he could take his father's extreme dislike for his marriage. But he would _not _stand for this. His father could not have his son. He yelled. He let loose all of the frustration that being a Hyuuga had built up in him over the years and his father had sat back and stared with wide-eyes. He didn't even give his father a chance to respond when he had finished his ranting, he simply left, feeling better than he had in years.

When asked if he believed if things were going to change between him and his father, Hachi would simply say he didn't know. It had been rough living as a Hyuuga, and it had been even worse when he left the clan to marry Leiji. Sure, he _wanted _things to change. He wanted to be able to talk normally with his father. He wanted his son to get to know his other grandfather. But it didn't seem like those things would be happening. And so, Hachi would smile sadly and say that he would wait. He would wait and hope that one day, maybe things would be better.


	6. The Masochism Tango

**This chapter is 100% inspired by a role play between LesxMisxLuverx10 and I…it takes place when Leiji and Hachi are nineteen…so, about a year into their marriage. Today's chapter forecast: cloudy with a chance of LEMONS. You have been warned…**

"_I ache for the touch of your lips, dear…_

…_My soul is on fire,_

_It's aflame with desire!"_

-Tom Lehrer

Crouching slightly in front of the local pet shop's window display, Leiji watched the kittens play in the shredded newspaper behind the glass, an old habit of hers from childhood. If there was one thing anyone knew about Uchiha Leiji, it was that she had always wanted a cat. From the moment she first saw her favorite movie, _Kiki's Delivery Service, _she decided she would one day have a little black cat, just like Jiji. But, as fate would have it, her younger brother Tai was highly allergic to cats, and her dream had to be put on hold. Now that she was married and out of the house, owning a little black cat was starting to become all she could think about.

"Looking at the cats again, huh?" Hachi asked as he crouched down next to his wife. "You've been doing that a lot lately."

"Because I want one," Leiji replied as though it were obvious, her eyes following a speckled brown and white kitten as it rolled over on top of it's sibling.

"So why not just get one?" Hachi questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Because it would mean a lot more as a gift coming from, I don't know, a husband or whatever," Leiji taunted, rolling her eyes.

"Well, I don't know where you're going to find one of those," Hachi said with a playful smirk, "but you really want that cat, don't you?"

"You know I do," Leiji said simply, her eyes never leaving the kittens.

"Well what if I want a dog?" Hachi challenged.

"You don't want a dog," Leiji scoffed.

"Oh, but I do," Hachi informed her in all seriousness. "Dogs are loyal and energetic and-."

"-loud and obnoxious," Leiji finished for him with narrowed eyes. "Cats are quiet and-."

"-scratch up the furniture and cough up hairballs," Hachi finished with a smirk. "I think a dog would be the obvious choice here."

"We are _not _getting a dog," Leiji nearly growled. "We are getting the cat that I have always wanted."

"Why can't we get the dog I've always wanted?" Hachi asked, pretending to be hurt.

"Because you don't really want a dog!" Leiji argued. "You're just saying that to spite me."

"Someone's being a bit of a brat," Hachi said, trying to hide a smirk. "It seems to me like this is an argument that's never going to settled if we keep talking like this. So, I propose a challenge to determine which pet we'll get."

"A challenge?" Leiji asked skeptically. "Like rock-paper-scissors?"

"No, that's no fun," Hachi replied, shaking his head. A devious smirk played on his lips as he leaned in towards her face, hovering just over her lips. "No sex."

"What?" Leiji cried, pulling back. "That's ridiculous! What kind of challenge is that?!"

"A great one," Hachi said with a snicker. "Hear me out, here. From this point on, we are officially off sex. We'll both try to hold off for as long as we can and if you cave first – which you will – I get the dog, and if I cave first – which I won't – you get the cat. Sound like a plan?"

Leiji crossed her arms defiantly over her chest. Hachi always knew how to push her buttons, and to make matters worse, he was excellent at toying with her pride. Hachi simply saying that she would lose his challenge was making her blood boil.

"Fine," Leiji spat. "But when I win your stupid little game, you're going to buy me that cat."

"Whatever you say, doll," Hachi said as he stood. "But I feel like you should know that I'd prefer a big dog. A Husky maybe, or a German Sheppard. You know, on the 'off-chance' that I win."

"You're not going to," Leiji said confidently as she righted herself next to him. To prove her point, she leaned forward, placed a hand on the back of his neck and pulled him into a long, lingering kiss. She pulled back slowly, letting her lips glide over his and stared up at him, looking him deep in the eyes. "I need to go," she said, her voice low, adding in a slight seductive tone. "I'll see you at home."

As she walked away, swaying her hips just a little more than usual, Hachi cringed and placed a hand on his forehead. "This is going to be harder than I thought," he muttered.

-0-

When Leiji opened the door to her apartment after a long day of working with the ANBU, she was hit with a blast of sizzling hot air. Confused, she stepped into the entryway and examined the thermostat to see if it was broken, only to discover that it had been shut off despite the summer heat.

"Hey!" Leiji called to Hachi. "Why'd you turn the air conditioning off?" She stepped into the kitchen and narrowed her eyes at her grinning husband. It didn't take a rocket scientist to piece together what he had been plotting.

Hachi stood next to the stove working on putting together a simple dinner, shirtless and glistening with sweat. "What?" he asked innocently. "A guy can't let his muscles glisten gloriously in a sheen of sweat every once in a while?"

"No," Leiji replied, unfazed as she switched the air conditioning on. "Put a shirt on."

Completely ignoring his wife's request, Hachi put a hand under her chin and tilted her head up. He hovered just above her lips and smirked. "Does it bother you?"

"Not at all," Leiji said defiantly as she resisted the urge to place her hands on his chest.

"You want me," Hachi taunted, taking notice of her inner battle. "So why not just jump me and get it over with?"

"Because," Leiji said as she placed her palm on his chest and pushed him away, "you're going to be the one jumping me." She turned on her heel and began making her way towards their bedroom, pulling her shirt off as she walked. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to change."

"You want dinner?" Hachi asked as he turned back to the kitchen.

"Only if you put a shirt on," Leiji said as she came out of the room in fresh clothes and tossed one of his shirts at him. "And don't forget we're having dinner at my parent's house tomorrow."

"But your dad glares at me!" Hachi whined playfully. "It's like he _knows _what I do to you!"

"I'm pretty sure he tries his best not to think about that," Leiji smirked as she plucked a piece of celery from the plate of vegetables Hachi had been chopping. "And if that was an attempt to get me to think about sex, it didn't work."

"You're not fooling anyone," Hachi said as he pulled the shirt over his head. "You're totally turned on."

"Yes, Hachi, I want you so bad," Leiji said sarcastically as she reached for a banana, a devious smile playing on her lips.

"What are you doing?" Hachi asked, his eyes widening slightly.

"Nothing," Leiji said innocently as she slowly peeled the fruit. Locking eyes with Hachi, she raised the banana to her mouth and slowly wrapped her lips around it, sliding it carefully into her mouth. "Mmm," she sighed happily as she closed her eyes. She bit off the piece in her mouth and gave her staring husband a smile. "You know, I think I'll go across the hall and hang out with Karin for a while," she gave him a sly smile. "If you don't mind, that is."

"F-fine," Hachi stammered, turning back to the stove. "Go have fun."

"I will," Leiji smirked and turned for the door. "Don't torture yourself." She shut the front door behind her and leaned against it for a moment, breathing deeply. Hachi's little game had only been going on for a few hours, and already she wasn't sure how much longer could hold out. The banana thing had been a desperate attempt to one-up him, and it had seemed to work for the time being, but that meant his next attempt to win her over was going to be a lot worse. She was going to go mad before this was over.

Reluctantly, she pushed herself off the door and took the three steps across the hall to Karin's apartment and knocked on the door. The energetic blonde opened the door in a matter of seconds with an equally energetic toddler rapidly approaching his second birthday clinging to her shoulders.

"Hey pretty lady," Karin greeted as she stepped aside to let her best friend in. "What's hanging?"

"I need sex!" Leiji groaned as she leaned against the wall.

Karin quirked an eyebrow at her outburst and set Kimaru in his playpen. "You know," she said, pointing to her front door, "you have a husband right across the hall."

"I know that," Leiji nearly growled as she plopped down onto the couch, "but I can't sleep with him!"

"Oh my God, are you guys fighting?" Karin asked, sounding astonished as she took a seat next to her.

"Sort of," Leiji scoffed. "He came up with this stupid game to decide whether or not I get my cat…and I need my cat!"

"What kind of game?" Karin asked curiously. "And how does sex come into it?"

"Because," Leiji groaned, leaning back onto the cushions, "we've agreed to not have sex! And if I cave in first, we're getting a fucking _dog. _So I have to find a way to make him cave first so I can have my cat!"

"Sounds like fun!" Karin said giddily.

"It is _not _fun," Leiji protested. "This stupid game has only been going on for a few hours and I'm already going insane! I have the upper hand right now, but that's probably going to change the minute I walk back into that apartment."

"What'd you do to get the upper hand?" Karin asked slyly.

"I may have teased him a little with a banana," Leiji replied sheepishly.

"That's a good start," Karin said, nodding proudly. "But you need to step up your game! Got any lingerie?"

"No," Leiji replied, giving her an incredulous look.

"You up for a shopping trip tomorrow?" Karin asked with a malicious grin.

"Do I have a choice?" Leiji asked, rolling her eyes. She knew Karin better than anyone, and once the girl got an idea, she refused to let it go.

"Of course not," Karin grinned as she stood and stretched. She bent over and lifted Kimaru from his playpen and kissed his forehead. "You know," Karin said, turning back to Leiji, "this no-sex thing could be good. I mean, since you and Hachi won't be screaming each other's names and banging on the walls all night, me and Kimaru can get a decent night's sleep!"

"Hey!" Leiji protested. "We are _not _that loud."

"Oh, yes you are," Karin countered with a giggle. "I feel really sorry for your next-door neighbors. I'm surprised they haven't filed for any complaints!"

"Shut up," Leiji said, giving her best friend a glare.

Snickering, Karin disappeared into the kitchen and returned a moment later with a bottle for Kimaru. "I've got to put this one to bed. You want to stay over tonight?"

"Nah," Leiji sighed as she pulled herself up from the couch. "I better go face what's coming."

"With luck you'll both be coming," Karin smirked, giving her a knowing look.

"Only if he starts it!" Leiji snickered as she pulled open the front the door. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"We'll go shopping for something so sexy, that Hyuuga won't be able to resist!" Karin promised as Leiji rolled her eyes and shut the door.

By the time Leiji crawled into bed that night, she had calmed down enough to come up with one more devious plan for the night. She knew it probably wouldn't be enough to make him cave, but it would at least be enough to spark his hormones. So, when Hachi crawled into bed next to her, she rolled over and straddled him. With her hands on his chest, she grinned down at him for a brief second before leaning down and placing her lips on his neck, just below his earlobe.

"Well," Hachi said as she began sucking lightly, "isn't this nice." He raised his hands to her waist and dragged his palms along her loose t-shirt until they reached the boy-short panties she wore. Smirking up at her, he said, "Dressing a little skimpy for bed, now aren't we?"

"It's hot in here," Leiji replied simply as she grinded her hips slowly against him, smirking. His hands gripped her waist a little tighter at her movements and once she was absolutely sure that his throbbing erection wouldn't be going down any time soon, she practically leapt off him and flopped onto her stomach, shoving her hands under her pillow in her normal sleeping position. "Good night," she said in a sing-song voice as she snuggled into the pillow.

"That was uncalled for," Hachi said, rolling his eyes as he turned to his side and tried to think innocent thoughts. However, he couldn't help but smirk to himself as an idea began forming in the back of his mind. He was going to win tomorrow. For sure.

-0-

The next morning, Leiji stood in the shower, letting the steaming water cascade over her body as she wondered what Karin had in store for her that day. She was ripped from her thoughts as the shower curtain was pushed aside and Hachi stepped in.

"Hey!" Leiji cried in protest. "What do you think you're doing? I'm trying to shower here!"

"What a coincidence," Hachi mused as he reached for the soap. "Me too!"

"Get out!" Leiji demanded as she placed her hands on his back and attempted to shove him out of the shower.

"Oh, calm yourself," Hachi said, rolling his eyes. He turned, taking her wrists in his hands, and pinned her against the shower's stone wall. "You act like we've never showered together before."

Scowling, Leiji stared up at him. "Yeah, but you're not going to get laid this time."

"Who said I was expecting to get laid?" Hachi asked, pretending to be hurt at the accusation. "I'm just starting to get into this whole conserving water thing. You know, for the environment."

"I don't believe you," Leiji said with narrowed eyes.

"All right, you got me," Hachi smirked. He leaned down and nibbled lightly at her neck. Her back arched against the wall and he knew he had won. His hands glided against her sides and he moved them to her thighs to help her wrap her legs around him. His mouth found hers and just as he began to slide his tongue into her mouth – a move that would seal the deal for sure – her cell phone began blaring on the bathroom counter.

She ripped herself away from him and planted her feet firmly on the shower floor, staring at him with wide eyes for a moment before she nearly ripped the shower curtain as she pulled it aside. "You almost got me," she admitted as she wrapped a towel around herself. "But you're not going to win that easily!" She grabbed her cell phone and scowled. "Damn, it's the ANBU…"

"Are you going to be back in time for that dinner at your parent's?" Hachi asked, peeking out from the shower curtain.

"Hopefully," Leiji answered with a sigh. She turned on her heel and threw open the bathroom door, but before she could step out into the hallway, Hachi's voice interrupted her.

"Hey, Leij?"

"Hmm?" she asked, completely unsuspecting as she turned back to look at him.

"I'll get you, my pretty," he grinned and pulled the shower curtain back in place.

-0-

Leiji just barely made it back to the village in time to have dinner at her parent's house, and Karin, who was also part of the ANBU and understood completely, had happily rescheduled their shopping trip. Now Leiji sat at the dining room table with her parents and brothers with Hachi seated next to her. As they sat, listening to Sakura ramble on about daily life at the hospital, Hachi slyly rested his hand on Leiji's knee, and, after a brief moment, began slowly sliding it upward.

Nearly jumping at the sudden movement, Leiji stifled a gasp and tried to concentrate on the food in front of her, earning a strange look from her father as she did.

"Something wrong?" Sasuke asked coolly.

"N-no," Leiji stammered. "I just felt something crawl up my leg!" She slapped a hand over Hachi's and pushed his hand back down to her knee, sending him a quick glare.

"Was it a spider?" the nine-year old Kyo asked with wide eyes. "There's been lots and lots of them."

Hachi's hand moved back up Leiji's leg as Kyo spoke, squeezing lightly once he reached her thigh and she grimaced at the touch. "Yeah, it was just a spider," she said as she stomped her foot down hard over Hachi's.

Hachi squeezed his eyes shut from the pain as Kyo asked, "Another spider?"

"Seems like it," Leiji said slyly as she turned to Hachi. "Did one bite you?" she asked, slapping a hand down on Hachi's leg, sliding it dangerously close to his groin.

"Yes," Hachi said, struggling to hold onto his composure, "rather hard if I do say so myself."

"Are you two all right?" Sakura asked, raising a brow from across the table. Sasuke simply rolled his eyes, trying his best to ignore whatever it was that was going on.

"No, we're just fine," Leiji assured her mother as her hand grasped his erection through his pants. "Isn't that right, Hachi?"

"I'm excellent, thanks for the concern," Hachi confirmed as he bit back a groan and slapped his hand back on Leiji's thigh and moved it between her legs to brush over her most sensitive spot.

"See? We're great," Leiji said, turning to her mother with an assuring smirk. She nearly gasped in shock as Hachi began rubbing her clit through her pants and she stood so quickly that she nearly knocked her chair back. Grabbing Hachi by the wrist and pulling him to his feet, she growled, "Can I talk to you for a minute? Alone?"

"Are you sure you're all right?" Sakura asked, eying them carefully with concern.

"We're fine," Leiji assured her once again. "There's just this really important thing I forgot to tell Hachi about," she lied as she began shoving Hachi out of the room.

"Well, this isn't concerning at all," Hachi muttered as he allowed himself to be pushed away from the possible witnesses to his murder.

Once the eccentric couple had left the room, Hideki turned to his plate with a shrug and informed his brothers, "If they start yelling, I'll get the popcorn."

In the living room, Leiji dropped Hachi's wrist and sent him a harsh glare, whispering, "_What _are you doing?!"

"What are _you _doing?" Hachi shot back in a whisper, raising a brow at her.

Groaning in frustration, Leiji reached up and pointed a finger in the Hyuuga's face. "Touching me during dinner is _not _going to get me to beg for you, Hachi."

"And you were all over my pants because…?" Hachi prompted, a playful smirk tugging at his lips.

"So you knew how it felt to be teased like that!" Leiji explained in a huff, crossing her arms in frustration.

Smirking mischievously, Hachi leaned forward and hovered close to her face. "I think you want me."

Rolling her eyes, Leiji reached up and pushed his head away. "Just stop it, okay?"

"I will when you do," Hachi promised as she brushed past him to head back to the dining room.

Freezing in her tracks, Leiji turned slowly to face Hachi, a sly smile pulling on her lips. Before he even had a chance to question her intentions, Leiji grabbed him by the collar, pulling him down for a kiss. As she sucked lightly on his lower lip, she pressed her body against his, grinding her hips slowly into him. She brushed her tongue against his lips and just as Hachi was about to part his mouth slightly and let out a small groan of pleasure, she pulled back, smirking at her handiwork and flounced silently back into the dining room.

"God damn it, woman," Hachi groaned under his breath. He took a slow, deep breath and tried to pull his mind out of the gutter. After regaining his composure, he followed her path back to the dining room with a scowl.

-0-

The next morning, Leiji stood in the kitchen, leaning against the counter as she waited for her toast to pop out of the toaster. She closed her eyes and shuddered as she recalled the "punishment" Hachi had had in store for her after they had gotten back from dinner. He had cleverly waited until she had fallen asleep and then, in the middle of the night, she had been jerked awake by his skilled fingers rubbing expertly against her clit. She had almost lost it then, but she held back. Even when he had driven her so close to the edge she had to clamp her mouth shut to keep from screaming for him, she held her ground. To add insult to injury, when she was just a stroke away from the most mind-blowing orgasm of her life, Hachi pulled his hand back, smirked wickedly down at her and wished her a good night.

She jumped as the toast popped up and almost let out a shriek as two hands grasped her hips and lifted her up to sit on the counter.

"Mornin', doll," Hachi said as he leaned down to brush his lips against her neck, nipping at it lightly.

"What are you doing?" Leiji moaned, fighting the urge to lean her head back.

"Nothing," Hachi said innocently as he pulled back and placed a light kiss on her lips. "I just feel so bad about what I did to you last night-."

"As you should," Leiji interrupted, giving him a hard look.

Rolling his eyes, Hachi placed his hands on her thighs and forced her to spread her legs apart so he could step between them, then raised his hands to her waist. "As I was saying, I felt so bad for just leaving you hanging like that, that I thought I'd give you a nice reminder of what we did on this counter a while back."

Before Leiji had a chance to respond, he began to grind against her roughly, moving a hand up to knead at her breast. She let out an involuntary moan at his sudden movement and threw her head back as he began to kiss her neck roughly again. Smirking against the pulse of her neck he raised his head and whispered hotly into her ear, "Remember how this went?"

Biting back a moan as he nibbled at her earlobe, Leiji said in a breathless whisper, "Yes, Hachi…I remember."

"And then I believe it went something like this," Hachi went on. He grasped her by the ass and pulled her off the counter, making sure to press his throbbing erection against her as he carried her over to the round kitchen table and laid her down on it. He hovered over her for a moment, smirking at the lust-induced haze that had crept into her ebony eyes, then grasped her hips and began to thrust against her. "Going to give in yet, or do I have to remind you further?"

"Not a chance in hell," Leiji informed him as she arched her back and grasped his upper arms. It was a blatant lie, of course. It took every ounce of her willpower to keep from ripping her pants off and letting him take her right there. But she reminded herself of the little black cat she so desperately wanted and squeezed her eyes shut, telling herself she could put up with the horrible torture Hachi was inflicting on her.

"Really now?" Hachi asked with a smirk, clearly seeing through her lie. "Then I suppose I'll have to continue then. After I had driven you wild on the table," he paused and lifted her once more, striding over to the couch where he lay down on his back, leaving her to straddle his hips, "I took you over here and let you take control for a while."

"I'm not playing this game, Hachi," Leiji said defiantly. She started to lift herself off of him but was immediately held in place by his strong hands grasping her hips. "Damn it, let me go!"

"Not yet," Hachi said playfully as he forced her hips to grind into him. "Like I said, I let you take control for a while." He smirked up at her, fully aware that the only reason she wasn't playing along with his little game was because she just a push away from giving in. And he was going to give her that push. "And after you started driving me absolutely wild, I did this," Hachi continued as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her forward to lay against his chest. In one swift motion, he rolled onto the floor, still clinging onto her, and hovered over her with a smirk, admiring the way her raven hair fanned out in a halo and contrasted so perfectly with the white carpeting. He bent down and pressed his lips firmly against hers, sucking lightly at her lower lip. She moaned into his mouth, reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck and pulled him close.

"And then," Hachi muttered against her lips, "I did this," he continued, rolling his hips against hers, "until you were screaming my name."

Leiji pulled back with a moan and shook her head rapidly in an attempt to clear her head. "This isn't going to work!"

"Oh, but it is working," Hachi informed her as he bent down to nip at her neck again. "And," he added hotly in her ear, "I forgot to mention one little thing."

"Mmm, what?"

"I have to take my genin on a mission today. I'll probably be gone for about a week…"

"What?!" Leiji cried, shooting up and just barely missing knocking her forehead against Hachi's. "When did you find out about this?"

"This morning," Hachi replied, sitting back with a shrug. "So if you want me, you better jump me now."

"I can hold off," Leiji informed him with a scoff, crossing her arms defiantly. "It's you I'm worried about."

"Oh please," Hachi said, rolling his eyes as he stood. "I have a hand."

"It's not as good as me!" Leiji called after him as he brushed past her to get ready for the mission.

"That is completely true!" he called back from their bedroom.

-0-

"I am going insane," Leiji groaned miserably to Karin, who was standing next to a rack of very risqué lingerie. Hachi had been gone on his mission for a full week and was due back that night, which made it the perfect night, according to Karin, to try out the lingerie idea. Leiji was hoping against hope that it would work, or she didn't know what she would do. The entire week Hachi had been gone, she had worked herself to the bone training with the ANBU, her father, Hideki, and anyone she could get her hands on until all she could do when she got home at night was collapse into bed, too exhausted to move. Overworking herself had kept her mind occupied on things other than sex, but all that work would be tossed out the window the minute Hachi walked through their front door.

"Don't worry, you'll get laid for sure when he sees you in _this_," Karin cried excitedly as she held up a silky white number that guaranteed extra cleavage and included a matching a thong.

"No," Leiji deadpanned after glancing at it.

"You're right," Karin agreed, shoving it back onto the racks. "You need something black. Something lacy. Something that screams 'fuck me now!'."

"Karin!" Leiji scolded in a low voice, glancing at the several amused looks the other customers were giving them.

Rolling her eyes, Karin turned to look at the black selections and smirked. "I think I've found the one, babe."

"Oh really?" Leiji replied skeptically as she moved to her best friend's side. They had been in the store for nearly an hour, and Leiji was growing tired of Karin constantly finding "the one".

With a mischievous grin, Karin pulled a black, lacy piece from the rack and held up for Leiji to examine. It was simple, with a top that promised a tempting amount of cleavage and a pattern of intricately designed lace that would hug the body tightly down to the waist. The bottom piece was made of the same lace and covered just enough to let the mind wonder a little.

"All right," Leiji said with a sigh.

"All right?" Karin questioned, quirking an eyebrow.

"All right, it's the one," Leiji confirmed as she took it from Karin's hand and examined the price tag. The rather large number staring back at her made her cringe. Glancing back up at Karin, she asked, "Can we find a different 'The One'?"

"Oh, like you can't afford it," Karin said with a roll of her eyes as she slung an arm around Leiji's shoulders and all but dragged her towards the registers. "It'll be worth every penny when Hachi gives in, gives you the most incredible sex ever _and _buys you your cat!"

-0-

When the door to the apartment clicked open later that night, Leiji was ready. The lights were dimmed, lit candles stood on every available surface in their bedroom, the lingerie was perfectly in place on her, and she had pulled her hair up in a messy bun and applied a fine layer of red lipstick to her lips. A single glance in the mirror told her she looked undeniably sexy. She leaned her back against the doorframe of their bedroom, lifting a leg to rest her foot against the frame and raising an arm over her head. She puffed her chest out slightly as Hachi turned the corner and gave him a smoldering smirk.

"_Well_," Hachi blinked, obviously shocked at her appearance. He dropped his bag in the hallway and walked up to her, placing his hands at her waist, his fingers digging into the lace. "This is new," he said as he leaned down to trail kisses along her neck. "Why haven't I seen this before?"

"I wanted to surprise you," Leiji moaned breathily into his ear. She reached down to the grasp the hem of his shirt and quickly tugged it over his head before placing her hands on his chest and tilting her head down, staring up at him with glazed eyes. "What do you think?"

Smirking, Hachi trailed his hands down and hooked his thumbs in the elastic of the lace bottoms. "I think I want to rip this off of you."

"Then what are you waiting for?" Leiji asked huskily, leaning closer to his lips.

Placing a gentle kiss on her lips, Hachi pulled back and grinned that mischievous grin that Leiji hated so much sometimes. "For you to do better," he informed her as he dropped his hands to his sides and turned on his heel, chuckling lightly as he started walking towards the kitchen.

Completely floored, Leiji stared after him with a dropped jaw. After everything she had done, after all she had been put through because of that stupid game; she was not going to take this sitting down. She was going to make him _beg _for her. With her Uchiha blood at a full boil, she stormed after him, gripped his wrist and nearly threw him into their room. Before he even had a chance to react, she placed both hands on his chest and shoved him down onto their bed and straddled him, staring down at him with Sharingan blazing. "You want better?" she growled. "I'm going to make you regret saying that."

"Oh, are you now?" Hachi challenged coyly. Of course, he already regretted it. He knew he had gone too far as soon as those words had come out of his mouth, and his cool façade was beginning to falter.

Glaring, Leiji leaned down and bit roughly at the pulse of his neck as her nails dragged up his bare chest. The groan that erupted from his mouth only fueled her newfound fury and she raised her head to give him a blazing Sharingan stare before slamming her lips over his, dragging her teeth over his lower lip as she sucked on it. His hand held her hip tightly as the other one dipped into the front of the lace panties, and he smirked against her lips when he felt how wet she had become already. He stroked his finger against her and held back a wicked laugh as she involuntarily shuddered and let out a soft moan into his mouth.

Leiji ripped her mouth away from his and, panting, gave him a hard look. "You want to play that game, Hachi? Fine. It's on."

Before Hachi had a chance to ask just what she meant by that, she began working her way down his body, brushing her hair along his chest and trailing kisses as she moved. When she reached the hem of his pants, she pulled them, along with his boxers, off in one swift motion and tossed them haphazardly aside. Leaning down, she slid her tongue along the length of his shaft, inwardly gloating at the hold she had over him. He raised his hips slightly as her tongue flicked his tip, and a muffled groan escaped his lips.

Trying to play it cool as she worked her mouth around his length, he managed to choke out, "Why don't you show me what you did to that banana?"

Pulling back slightly, Leiji glanced up at him and gave him a smirk. "I'll do better," she promised in a husky voice as her hands grabbed his shaft and squeezed tightly. She began stroking him in swift, jerking motions that produced almost animalistic grunts to sound in his throat. He leaned his head back as she worked and when her mouth took in his head, swirling her tongue around it, he nearly lost it.

Unable to hold back any longer, he propped himself up on his elbows and took a fistful of her raven hair in his hand and pulled her head back from him. He stared into her ebony eyes for a moment, admiring the way her chest moved as she panted slightly. He himself was panting from that short performance and a bead of sweat trickled down his cheek as he pulled her forward, crashing his mouth over hers. His tongue forced its way into her mouth and as they battled for dominance in each other's mouths, she began to grind against his throbbing erection at an achingly slow pace.

Disliking the feeling of the rough lace rubbing against him, Hachi reached down and, in one swift motion, reached out and ripped the panties off of her and, as an afterthought, ripped the top off as well, tossing the shredded remains onto the floor. Leiji only took a second to absorb what Hachi had just done to her overpriced lingerie before grinding against him again, moaning at the feel of his hardened length pressing against her.

Bucking his hips slightly at the gliding wetness moving against him, he raised his arms and wrapped them around Leiji's waist, pulling her to his chest. Never stopping her grinding, Leiji smirked as she could feel just how badly he wanted her…and she would be lying if she said she wasn't aching for him to be inside her. She leaned down to nip at his neck and suddenly her eyes flew open as Hachi let out a shocked gasp. They stared at each other for a moment, trying to piece together what just happened, but Hachi wasted no time flipping them over and began to pound roughly into her, letting loose all that had been building up over the past couple of weeks.

Somehow, as Leiji was grinding against him, Hachi had managed to slip inside her. It was completely accidental, of course, but the feeling of being inside her after so long was overwhelmingly good and he was going to make her pay for all of the torture she had inflicted on him.

Moaning loudly, Leiji raised her arms to drape over Hachi shoulders, rolling her hips against him to meet his pace. He was hitting that perfect spot and she was already nearing the edge thanks to weeks of deprivation. Moaning his name into his ear, she began to tremble beneath him and let out a low cry of disappointment when he suddenly slowed to an achingly slow pace.

"What are you doing?" she asked breathily, leaning her head back against the pillow.

"I'm not letting you get off that easy," Hachi informed her as his hand reached up to massage her breast. "After all you've done to me…you are going to pay." He continued thrusting into her painfully slow and he smirked at the annoyed mixed with pleasured look on her face. He had complete and total control over her. Or so he thought.

In one swift motion, Leiji placed her hands on his chest and flipped them over, smirking down at his shocked expression as she rode him. She rolled her hips roughly against him, moaning as she made him hit deep inside her. Groaning, Hachi put his hands on her hips, trying to control her movements. He attempted to slow her pace, knowing he couldn't hang on for long with the way she was moving, but she kept her pace despite his efforts and squeezed her eyes shut with a moan as her walls began to tighten around him. Grunting, Hachi began bucking his hips to hit deeper and pulled her against his chest as Leiji let out a strangled cry, her entire body shaking with the force of her release.

Squeezing his eyes shut, Hachi let his own release spill into her, clutching her tightly as he trembled, then fell back against the pillows, panting heavily and coated in a sheen of sweat.

"Damn," Leiji whispered as she pulled back from his neck. He caught her lips as she moved, nipping lightly at her lower lip and gave her a confused look when she suddenly pulled back, climbed off of him and stood abruptly. "Shower. Now."

"A sexy shower?" Hachi asked, sitting up with a smirk. His only answer was Leiji turning and walking into their bathroom and the sound of the shower turning on. Eagerly, he jumped up and followed after her. He stepped into the shower and smirked, watching the water cascade down her body, wetting her hair and making it cling to her cheeks. Without a word, he placed his hands on her hips and backed her up to the stone shower wall. As he kissed her she obligingly raised her legs with his help to wrap her legs around his waist.

Sliding his tongue into her mouth, Hachi reached down between them to stroke her and smirked against her lips as she let out a moan and leaned her head back against the wall, arching her back into him. Without a second thought, he pushed himself into her and shuddered at how tight she was around him. As he began thrusting into her, she tightened her arms around him, throwing her head back with a loud moan. He grunted as his thrusts became harder and rougher against her, and his grip on her hips tightened as her nails dug into his shoulders. In minutes she was trembling against him again, yelling his name as he released into her for a second time.

Panting, staring into each other's eyes as they both struggled to regain their breath, a slow smile crept over Leiji's lips and before Hachi had a chance to ask what she was up to, she had turned off the water and flounced back into their bedroom, throwing him a seductive look over shoulder asking, "You coming?"

-0-

Fifteen minutes later, Hachi rolled off the side of the bed and came crashing to the floor with a groan. "Sleep," he groaned, nuzzling his face into the carpet. "I need sleep. Or caffeine. Lots and lots of caffeine."

Staring up at the ceiling from the center of their bed, watching the fan spin lazily as she struggled to catch her breath, Leiji asked breathlessly, "Want a pillow?"

"Yeah," Hachi muttered. He didn't bother moving when Leiji shoved a pillow off of the bed and it landed on his back with a soft _plop. _"Leiji?"

"Yeah?" she asked, her eyes never leaving the fan.

"Let's _never_ deprive ourselves of sex again."

"Never," Leiji agreed. She turned her gaze slightly as Hachi's fist, clutching the shredded remains of her lingerie, appeared over the side of the bed.

"Was this expensive?"

Smirking, Leiji rolled her eyes and muttered, "…yeah."

The remained silent for a few moments, taking in the serene, peaceful feeling that had washed over them as the moon shone in through the window, bathing the room in silvery light. Exhausted, Leiji's eyes began to flutter closed with a relieved sigh but opened her eyes again at the sound of Hachi's voice.

"Hey, Leij?"

"Hmm?" she hummed gently.

"….Who _won?"_


End file.
